Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Will Come With Infinity Display, Android Nougat

Samsung’s upcoming phablet Galaxy Note 8 would feature an Infinity display, claims a new report coming out of the Netherlands. Samsung already uses the Infinity display on the Galaxy S8, which has been praised for its beautiful design. The Note brand has suffered due to last year’s Note 7 debacle. With the Note 8, Samsung will try to revive the phablet line’s brand appeal.

Image Credit: @mmddj_china / Twitter (screenshot)

Galaxy Note 8 to keep the S8’s aspect ratio

Sources familiar with the matter told Dutch publication GalaxyClub that the Galaxy Note 8 would feature a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge Infinity display. It means the handset will keep the 18.5:9 aspect ratio of the current Galaxy S8 and S8+ models. The 18.5:9 aspect ratio is better than the standard 16:9 ratio found on most phones for watching videos and playing games.

What the report does not mention is the phone’s display resolution. The Galaxy S8 lineup offers a resolution of 2960 x 1440. We can expect the Note 8 to at least match the Galaxy S8 in terms of resolution. However, there are also rumors that the Galaxy Note 8 would finally jump to 4K resolution. Samsung has already developed the 4K technology, and 4K is increasingly becoming mainstream.

Fingerprint sensor to be embedded in the display

A video recently leaked on Twitter showed the Note 8’s front panel. The display is curved on the sides, and the top and bottom bezels are incredibly slim. If the Note 8 indeed comes out with a 6.3-inch display, it would be 0.6-inch bigger than the Galaxy Note 7’s 5.7-inch display.

The Galaxy Note 8 will be an improvement over the Galaxy S8 in many aspects. The fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S8 is awkwardly placed next to the main camera. Recently leaked images suggest that the Note 8 will not have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The technology will likely be integrated into the display. The rear panel is not the ideal place for the fingerprint sensor.

Samsung to add dual camera to its flagship phablet

The Note 8 images leaked by Priceraja showed a dual camera system on the back. The cameras are arranged vertically for reasons only Samsung knows. Apple’s iPhone 8 is also rumored to have vertically-placed dual cameras to support AR applications. The Note 8 will have the heart rate sensor and LED flash placed below the dual camera system. They were placed on the left side of the main camera on Galaxy S8.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in April that the Note 8 dual camera would include a 13-megapixel telephoto lens and a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with dual photodiode (2PD). The analyst believes the Note 8 dual camera would be better than Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. It could even challenge the 10th anniversary iPhone 8 in terms of camera quality.

Galaxy Note 8: what other features you should expect

GalaxyClub also reported that the Galaxy Note 8 would run Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Google would release Android O around the same time. Some Note 8 buyers might be disappointed that the device wouldn’t run the latest Android right out of the box. Google’s upcoming Pixel 2 is likely to be the first smartphone to run Android O.

The rumor mill claims that the Galaxy Note 8 would be powered by Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835 processors, depending on the region. The US and Chinese markets are likely to get the Snapdragon variant, with the rest of the world getting the Exynos version. Other expected features include a 3.5mm headphone jack, 6GB RAM, a USB Type-C port, and an improved Bixby AI assistant. The Note 8 will also have an S Pen stylus.

Earlier this week, Korean site The Investor reported that Samsung was planning to release a white paper on the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, which should help make the Galaxy Note 8 safer. The white paper would cover all aspects of the Note 7 including R&D, marketing, testing, production, components, supply chain, and even a few individual cases of Note 7 explosions. However, it will be shared only with top executives at Samsung.

Galaxy Note 8 release date

Last year, Samsung had rushed the Galaxy Note 7 launch to beat the iPhone 7 to the market. But that rush cost Samsung more than $5 billion and a lot of trouble. The company wouldn’t want to rush things this time. If Samsung sticks to its traditional Note launch schedule, we can expect it to unveil the device in August. However, IFA executive director Jens Heithecker recently indicated that the Note 8 could be unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin, which begins September 1. Heithecker has said that Samsung would have the largest presence at the trade show.

Before Galaxy Note 8, Samsung is rumored to launch the refurbished version of Galaxy Note 7 in select markets at discounted prices. Samsung had recalled roughly four million Note 7 units. The company has fixed the battery issue, and is planning to launch it under the name Galaxy Note FE later this month. The refurbished model will likely have the same features and specs as the original Note 7, except for the battery. The Note 7 had a 3500mAh battery, but the Note FE is rumored to pack a smaller 3200mAh battery.